[philipwhiuk]

> and the pre-1985 council didn't have a mayor.

True but it had a council leader.

> Personally I'd enthusiastically vote for a return to the pre-2000 system as it's not at all clear to me what these people do for us or what we gain from giving them all this money.

A failing on your part. About half of it is TFL.

Budget https://www.london.gov.uk/media/100391/download?attachment

[OJFord]

Unless different to the rest of the country though, not directly elected (to the leader role), which I assume was the point, since a mayor is.

Mind you, we don't vote for parties to govern or which member to lead them (and it needn't be an MP) either, but it doesn't stop people talking like we do. (I'm voting Labour - no you're not, you're voting for the Labour candidate in your area. I'm voting for Rishi Sunak - you're almost certainly not, the vast majority of people not being in his constituency. Etc.)

[mejutoco]

> Mind you, we don't vote for parties to govern or which member to lead them (and it needn't be an MP) either, but it doesn't stop people talking like we do.

You are technically correct, but those pesky people are onto something. In practice people that voted for Boris Johnson in 2019 did not vote for Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak, yet still were governed by them.

You are voting for a candidate, but their party might decide the next pm with the input of their members only.